OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — After a Class A runner up finish last season, the Omaha Westside girls basketball team is making a push for the state tournament again, led by a senior class whose athletic talents extend beyond the basketball court.
Their diverse athletic backgrounds and competitive drive have created a special dynamic as they pursue one final postseason run together.
Mia Urosevich has committed to UMKC to play soccer, drawn by the program's culture and community feel.
"I loved UMKC," she said. "I loved the culture it looks like they have there. It really felt like what I have here at Westside."
Meanwhile, Delaney McGrane will head to Kansas State for rowing, despite never having tried the sport before.
"Isn't that crazy?" she said. "They don't want me to try anything. They don't want me getting into a boat. They want to teach me everything from scratch. I have full faith in especially my coaching staff."
Head coach Steve Clark praised his seniors' ability to balance their demanding schedules while maintaining high academic standards.
"They're making the offseason workouts while they're in their other sports season, and they're all academically high level, so they truly learned how to time manage," Clark said.
Sanai Foster, who wants to pursue basketball at the junior college level and has also done modeling, sees competition as a common thread connecting all her activities.
"You're basically just competing for the role, and that's kind of how basketball is too," she said. "You're just kind of proving yourself all the way through. I feel like that's kind of what really drew me in."
The demanding schedules have strengthened team bonds rather than creating division.
"We're definitely one big family," Urosevich said. "That's what we prioritize a lot here, like our culture for basketball, which is really great, and I feel like we just all show up for each other."
"Knowing everyone's kind of in the same boat, but they also have their own things going on and just being able to love each other through it and help us get through the season because it's a long one," Foster said.
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